Since the opening of the MCAST Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering in September 2001, student growth “has been more than encouraging”, said Education Minister Louis Galea while visiting the Institute’s 2006 Projects Exhibition now being held at St James Cavalier.
“The Institute started with a student population of about 300, which increased annually during the five years of operation to over 550. As a result of the capital investment being carried out by government, and also through funding from the EU, the institute will be able to increase student numbers further in the years to come,” Dr Galea commented.
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering has prepared itself and its students for the challenges of a dynamic and emerging technology-driven industry by ensuring that the significant changes taking place in the industry are reflected in the curriculum and courses. The institute is also working on further enhancements in these areas, which will be introduced in the near future.
The Annual Projects Exhibition, Dr Galea explained, provides industry with an opportunity to scrutinise the variety of projects on show. He commented: “The exhibition is a showcase that must be visited and is an opportunity for local industry and the public to discuss ideas with the students. It also provides an opportunity for prospective students interested in joining the Institute to obtain further information about the courses.”
The institute’s aim is to provide the highest level of technical skills in order to cater for and prepare students to meet the current and future needs of industry. In this respect, MCAST staff’s excellence and knowledge of technical competencies will continue to be an important instrument for both students and the country.
The institute will be sustaining itself by providing a range of commercial technical services and educational schemes to both local industry and to overseas markets.
The vocational institute offers a variety of courses leading to employment opportunities in the engineering and industrial sectors, and also provides for students’ progression to higher levels of education. The subject matter of courses includes industrial electronics, electrical and electronics engineering, communications, computer engineering, consumer electronics and electrical installation.
Dr Galea also stressed two main areas on which MCAST and the institute should be focusing. The first is to encourage more female students to take up courses at the institute, which typically has a high number of male students.
The Maltese economy, Dr Galea explained, simply cannot afford to only have males in this area and MCAST and the institute need to determine ways and means of enticing more girls to consider taking up engineering courses.
Secondly, the minister stressed the need to continue bridge-building with the University of Malta. He pointed out that the two institutions have a lot in common and are complementary to each other. As such, he explained, it is only natural that the two should build stronger links between them.
Dr Galea recalled how the original vision for MCAST was for it to grow into the second pillar of higher education in Malta, alongside the University of Malta, and said that the two pillars should not be in competing but that their relationship should be of a complimentary nature.
That vision, he added, also entailed the development of two-way bridges between the institutions, so that students from the University could do part of their courses at MCAST while, on the other hand, MCAST students could continue their studies at the University.
Dr Galea encouraged prospective students and employers to visit the exhibition and speak to the students. Prospective students, he said, would have a great opportunity to see what the institute has to offer, while employers, on the other hand, could see the quality, creativity and skills of which the institute’s student body is capable.